Special Devices, Incorporated

Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company

Raytheon Company

Goodrich Corporation

Robert Nicholas Renz

Vahan Avetisian

Michael D Williams

John William Fronabarger

Richard D Loehr

James H Dupont

Paul Berg

Roland D Hintzman

Haiwen Meng

James Lemister

Steven Ray Johnson

Ralph Chengkung Hsiao

George Karloff

Patrick J Carroll

Methods and systems for mixing propellant formulations are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of mixing a solid propellant formulation includes placing a first component (e.g., a polymer or fuel) and a second component (e.g., an oxidizer of suitable particle size) in a mix vessel. The method further includes mixing the first and second components together by rotating the mix vessel about a first axis and, during at least a portion of the vessel rotation, revolving the vessel about a second axis spaced apart from the first axis. In one embodiment, the first axis can be a vessel spin axis, and the second axis can be spaced apart from the first axis so that the vessel revolves about the second axis in a planetary manner. In another embodiment, the vessel can rotate about the first axis in a first direction while revolving about the second axis in a second direction, opposite to the first direction.

Methods and systems for manufacturing propellants

A motor includes an annular solid fuel between an inside diameter and an outside diameter. The solid fuel has a series of radial notches that define segments of fuel between them. The notches allow for faster burning of the fuel, while still allowing structural integrity of the fuel segments to be retained during the burning process.

Solid propellant rocket motor with notched annular fuel

An aspirator for inflating an aircraft evacuation slide, emergency raft or other inflatable device includes a flexible, collapsible aspirator barrel that is inflated during operation to form a substantially rigid tube. According to one embodiment, the inflatable support member receives a flow of high pressure air directly from the aspirator injector nozzle assembly. According to another embodiment, the collapsible aspirator barrel receives a flow of high pressure gas directly from the high pressure inflation source. Because the aspirator barrel of the present invention is collapsible, the present invention occupies significantly less space when stored than an equivalent aspirator with a rigid aspirator barrel.

Inflation aspirator with collapsible barrel

The present invention is directed to the field of substituted tetrazole synthesis and manufacture. More particularly, the present invention is directed to processes for preparing substituted tetrazoles and tetrazolate salts, such as sodium nitrotetrazolate and sodium cyanotetrazolate, using small scale and/or microreactor techniques. The use of the present techniques result in less hazardous and more efficient manufacturing processes.

Process for preparing substituted tetrazoles from aminotetrazole

A pyrotechnic initiator with an integral, unitary, overmolded insulating body that eliminates the need for separate components to form the body, and the method of molding same.

Overmolded body for pyrotechnic initiator and method of molding same

A pyrotechnic initiator having an initiator including a relatively low monolithic ignition charge that is separated from an overlying output charge by an intermediary slip plane. The slip plane may simply be a non-integral junction between monolithic ignition and output charges, or it may be a junction between a monolithic ignition charge and a non-monolithic output charge, or it may be a void or barrier between the ignition and output charges.

Initiator with a slip plane between an ignition charge and an output charge

Growing community of inventors

Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Robert Nicholas Renz